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Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I've never met a mushroom I didn't like. Wild, dried or regular button mushrooms are always a welcome addition to my kitchen. I don't tend to last a week without serving a dish focused on these meaty delights. The possibilities are as endless as the creativity of the cook.

For this week's fix, I was tempted to make my stuffed mushrooms with goat cheese again, but I also had a craving for marinated portobellos. I finally decided to combine the idea of stuffed mushrooms and marinated portobellos and came up with this recipe for stuffed marinated portobello mushrooms with quinoa. The additional bonus here is yet another idea for one of the world's most perfect grains.

Rinse the quinoa under cold running water and soak in 2 cups of water overnight.

Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, rosemary, a bit of salt and pepper, and half of the garlic. Coat each portobello mushroom with the marinade and leave to sit for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl of hot water for 15 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid and cut into tiny pieces. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the remaining garlic, shallots and green chili to the pan. Stir and fry for a few minutes. Add the quinoa along with its soaking liquid, corn, and a bit of salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Let the quinoa sit for five minutes, add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the pan, and fluff with a fork.

Stuff each mushroom with some of the quinoa and place on a baking sheet. Top each stuffed mushroom with strips of cheese. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Place the mushrooms under the broiler for another few minutes to brown the cheese.

I've been a vegetarian for over 15 years but have just recently "learned" to like mushrooms. I started making myself try them, just little bites here and there, then progressed to mushrooms in soup then in risotto, etc.

I have successfully taught myself to like most mushrooms; oyster, shiitakei, morel and cremini, but the big guy, the portobello, I don't know... However, I adore all the other ingredients in this recipe and am thinking I will probably chicken out from trying the "big guy" and make a mini version using the baby cremini :) I have found mushrooms and Dijon to be a wonderful combination.

This is perfect, except I found large button mushrooms that I'm going to stuff, with modifications: I'm allergic to corn, so I'll use black beans. Vegan, so we'll use the Daiya Cheese that is now available in our market.Thanks for having a great recipe data base.

Based in London, Ontario, a veteran vegetarian for 23 years serves up a collection of delicious culinary creations from her kitchen, with an emphasis on spicy Indian dishes and whole foods. If you want to know what sensible vegetarians eat, Lisa's Kitchen is the place to be.